Enhancements to meterless remote parking monitoring systems

ABSTRACT

A remote meterless parking monitoring system including a plurality of individual parking spaces, a plurality of vehicle detector/RFID units for monitoring the status of the individual parking spaces; at least one Gateway device responsive to the plurality of vehicle detector/RFID units; a Command and Control Server for employing numerous security provisions at least including encryption of data, Virtual Privacy Networks, firewalls and authenticated connections and responsive to data from said Cellular gateway via the internet; and the Command and Control Server uses the status of each space and the ID from the motorist&#39;s RFID tag to cross reference data according to a Policy database and identifying the motorist through a Motorist Database including information about the motorist&#39;s mailing address, vehicle payment account balance or other information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to: (1) using RFID tags to identify parkingclassification; (2) use of RFID tags to allow temporary exemptions toindividuals for purposes of special events, temporary injury or othershort-term allowances for special parking privileges; and (3) using RFIDtags to identify unique customers and effect payment against an account;and (4) using RFID tags to identify unique customers and effectautomatic issuance of parking citations.

2. Related Art

The provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/213,752, filed 10 Jul.2009 and entitled: GEN II Meter System with Multiple Detection SensorTypes, Fault Tolerance Methods, Power Sharing and Multiple UserInterface Methods. In a system such as the GEN II Meter System(Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/202,201, Filed 5 February)built with multiple processors contained in a single node providesinternal monitoring of the operability of all units. An alphanumericidentifying message ID for each message is transmitted from a componentto identify intermittent and other communication errors such asconsistently “lost” packets of information within a RAM system (patentapplication Ser. No. 11/802,244, filed 21 May 2007) for parkingmanagement. An alphanumeric identifying message ID for each messagetransmitted from a component to identify intermittent and othercommunication errors such as consistently “lost” packets of informationwithin a RAM system for Parking Management. An alphanumeric message IDconfirms message delivery between radio network components in the RAMsystem for parking. The alphanumeric message ID confirms messagedelivery between radio network components in the RAM system for parking.The above alphanumeric message ID confirms message delivery betweenradio network components in the RAM system for parking. A Reed relay isused as a method of time stamping Parking Meter collections and sendingsets of commands either directly from handheld implements or through aradio network.

The provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/202,201 filed 5 Feb. 2009which relates to multiple task specific processors such as anApplication Processor, a Meter Controller and a Radio Processor allcontrolled via a shared SPI bus and using rechargeable batteries andsolar power sources for controlling and monitoring a vehicle parkingmeter system.

The provisional patent application 61/213,995, filed 6 Aug. 2009 andentitled: Radar Vehicle Detection System, employs a specific form ofradar technology to Remote Asset Management (RAM)) parking systems suchas that disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/802,244, filed21 May 2007.

The invention entitled: Parking System Employing RAM Techniques, Ser.No. 11/802,244, filed 21 May 2007, which relates to the management ofvehicle parking systems and, in particular, to such systems using remotemanagement techniques for enhancing management efficiency and to providesolutions to the parking system that could otherwise not be managed by:(1) sensing, collecting, recording and displaying data regarding allaspects of the environment pertaining to the parking system; (2)analyzing the data collected to create actionable outputs responsive tothe needs of the public and the management of the parking systems; (3)communicating with the various parking system components; and (4)receiving feedback to perform requested operations for the parkingsystem.

The provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/213,768, entitled:Meterless Remote Parking Monitoring System, filed 6 Aug. 2009 relatesto: (1) using Radio Frequency Identification tags (RFID) for permittingin a parking lot to identify valid parkers from violators of permittedparking; (2) employing space-by-space vehicle detection in addition toRFID equipped permits; (3) employing a combined RFID permitting systemwith vehicle detection into a RAM system for Parking Management; (4)transmitting all proximate RFID tags read by any RFID reader in theMeterless Remote Parking Monitoring System; and (5) a version of theforegoing systems that uses the same technology for a paid parkingenvironment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Using RFID Tags to Identify ParkingClassification

The problem solved relates to the fact that various parking lots may beused by various types of occupants with varying desired use profiles.For example, a university parking area may be used by both instructors,students housed on campus and commuting students. The university maywish to grant instructors unlimited parking privileges, limit commutingstudents parking to 6 hours at a time and allow students housed oncampus a maximum of 90 minutes of parking at a rime. These varyinglimits can cause difficulty in determining if a vehicle, as noted byvehicle presence detectors has exceeded, has exceeded the allowable timegranted to the individual motorist.

The solution is that each RFID tag is recorded using its unique numberin a data base in the Command and Control Interface (CCI) reference inthe aforementioned Ram patent. This data record would also containinformation about the motorist to whom it was issued and theclassification of permit that was issued to them. When the RFID tag isread by the remote space monitoring system, its unique ID number istransmitted to the CCI. This unique number is then cross-referenced bythe CCI to determine what kind of permit the motorist in the space wasissued. The type of motorist is then cross-referenced against a set ofdata records outlining the limits for each location and each type ofmotorist. A violation notice can then be generated and transmitted asneeded to enforcement personnel once the established time limit has beenexceeded.

Use of RFID Tags to Allow Temporary Exemptions to Individuals forPurposes of Special Events, Temporary Injury or Other Short TermAllowances for Special Parking Privileges

The problem is that individual motorists, in some cases, are grantedspecial parking privileges for a specific amount of time. The reasonscan vary from a temporary physical injury to a special event. Suchsituations create a number of falsely identified violations in ameterless parking system.

The solution is that either groups of permits or even individual permitscan be granted a special policy to grant special privileges to park inspaces otherwise unavailable to them (i.e. handicapped spaces, spacesnormally reserved for commuting students, etc.) for a specified time. Arecord can be made that associates the unique RFID tag numbers tospecific time limits and locations. Such assignments operate only forthe time desired by the parking managers.

Using RFID Tags to Identify Unique Customers and Effect Payment Againsta Parking Account

The problem is that Meterless Parking installations do not lendthemselves to allowing users to pay for time parked based on usage.Without meters, users must either purchase open-ended permits or themanager of the parking lot must employ attendants to monitor theentrance and exits of the parking area to allow users to pay only forthe time they use the lot.

The solution is that by using the unique ID from each RFID tag, theunique motorist in each spot can be definitely identifies as well as theexact arrival and departure time. The data transmitted by the meterlessremote parking monitoring system can be compared with information storedin the Command and Control Interface (CCI) that identifies the motoristto whom the RFID permit was issued. This information can then charge anaccount associated with the motorist for the time that the motoristoccupied the space. The account used to charge parking fees can beeither an account set up and funded with a credit balance on behalf ofthe motorist ahead of time or a credit or bank account authorized by themotorist to which the fees can be charged directly. The rates andpolicies for each location and motorist type would be stored inadditional tables in databases accessed by the CCI to assure the correctfee is charged based both on the motorist in question (should differentclasses of motorist have different rates) and the location in which theyparked.

Using RFID Tags to Identify Unique Customers and Effect AutomaticIssuance of Parking Citations

The problem is that even with remote monitoring of meterless parkingspaces, deploying an individual is still needed to issue a citation tothe motorist.

The solution is that the unique ID of the RFID tag used by a motoristcan be cross-referenced against the motorist data in the data basesaccessed by the Command and Control Interface (CCI) to determine themailing address at each violating motorist. Using this information, aparking violation can be issued by mailing a citation notice to themotorist's mailing address. Additionally, it a parking manager sochooses, permits of those individuals with some number of outstandingviolations can be flagged as suspended and invalid for use. This wouldallow the manager to take corrective action such as towing orimmobilizing the vehicle to cause the motorist to respond to theoutstanding citations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 outlines the components established in the provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 61/213,7868 for a remote meterless parkingmonitoring system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a sample process by which motoristsmay be associated with a particular parking policy;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a sample process by which motoristsmay be associated with a particular parking policy; and

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a process for identifying violations by thesystem and then automatically cited when the embodiment of theapplication allows.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With respect to FIG. 1, elements 1, 2 and 3 represent a plurality ofvehicle detector/RFID reader devices which are monitoring the status ofindividual parking spaces. They communicate with one or more Gatewaydevices (such as Cellular Gateway 4). The device pictured in thisdiagram is one which connects to the internet via a cellular connection,but it is understood that gateways can connect to the internet 5 usingany of a number of connection technologies as conditions would merit.Data is passed along to the Command and Control Server 6 from theinternet 5. While not shown, or specifically required, the connectionfrom the Vehicle Detector/R units 1, 2 and 3 to the Command and ControlServer 6 can employ numerous security provisions including, but notlimited to, encryption of data, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs),firewalls and authenticated connections. Once the data is transmitted tothe Command and Control Server 6, the status of each space and the IDfrom the motorist's RFFID tag can be used to cross reference dataaccording to the Policy database 8 regarding the spaces reporting anupdating status and the motorist—who is identified by the RFID tag's IDnumber through the Motorist Database 7. The data is processed as seen inFIG. 2 and any alerts for enforcement dispatched via connections to themobile computers 9 in use by enforcement personnel and/or used to createautomated citation notices for mailing to the violating motorists.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of a sample process by which motoristsmay be associated with a particular parking policy. This process startsat Start Space Policy Assignment component 10 after which the userdetermines if the policy desired already exists in the policy database11. If the policy exists, the process continues directly to the step 13.Otherwise the process first passes to Create Policy Profile in PolicyDatabase step 12 where the desired policy is created before proceedingto step 13. In step 13, the motorist is chosen from the existingmotorists in the motorist database or created if they do not exist. Instep 14, the proper space policy is selected for the motorist. In step15, the spaces, lots of other types of groupings are assigned to themotorist so that space restrictions can be applied. In step 16, the timeframes for the policy assignment are defined so that the assignment canbe applied to begin and/or cancelled in the future without furtherintervention. The record is saved to an assignment database in step 17before finishing the process in step 18.

While this is a sample of how a policy might be created, furtherembodiments are envisioned in which default policies could be assignedto motorists and alternative policies could be applied for short periodsof time by adding notations to the assignment records as to which policyis currently active on a dynamic basis by the Command and ControlInterface.

With respect to FIG. 3, the process starts at step 19 when a vehiclearrives in the parking space. This causes the RFID reader to be awokenin step 20. All of the RFID tags in the reading range of the reader tobe read in step 21 and the results transmitted to the Command andControl Server in step 22. The Command and Control Server thendetermines the proper RFID tag to associate with the newly arrivedmotorist as laid out in the Meterless Remote Parking Monitoring System,provisional patent Ser. No. 61/213,768/in step 23. The results of theRFID tag to motorist association may encounter situations where there isno tag to associate with the newly arrived motorist. This is determinedat step 24 and if no tag is associated with the motorist, a violationalert is issued in step 28. Otherwise, the motorist's identity isdetermined from the Motorist database in step 25 and the current Policyassignment is determined for that motorist by examining the recordpolicy association records in step 26. The motorist's space allowancesare checked to see if their permit applies to the space in which theyhave parked in step 27. In the case that a motorist is not permitted inthe space, a violation alert is issued to enforcement personnel in step28.

For motorists permitted to park in the associated space, furthermonitoring is enacted. First, the policy is examined to determine if atime limit exists for parking in step 34. If a time limit exists, thespaces' maximum occupancy time is set to equal that time limit in step35. Otherwise, it is set to “No Limit” in step 36. Then it is determinedif the policy requires monetary payment for time in step 37. If thepolicy requires payment, the motorist's account balance is checked todetermine the maximum time that can be purchased with the value in theiraccount in step 38 by dividing the balance by the rate for the space.This value is used to set the occupant's maximum time. If no payment isrequired by the policy, the occupant's maximum time is set to “No Limit”in step 39. The Maximum occupant time is then compared to the space'smaximum occupancy time and re-set to equal the space's maximum occupancytime if is shorter in step 40.

Once set, the status of the space is continuously monitored in a loopuntil the motorist departs the space (steps 41-43). If at any time, thecurrent time of day is after the allowable time—defined as the time ofthe motorists arrival plus the maximum occupant time as determined insteps 40-42, a violation alert is generated and issued to enforcementpersonnel in step 28.

Once enforcement personnel receive a violation alert on their mobilecomputers in step 28, they report to the space to verify the RFID Permitin the vehicle against the reported RFID tag ID (or lack of permit)generated by the system in step 29.

If the system has generated a valid violation in step 30 as determinedby comparing the system reported RFID tag ID to the permit in thevehicle, the enforcement person issues a citation to the motorist orboots the vehicle in step 31 and sends the information related to thatcitation/boot back to the Command and Control Server in step 32 usingthe mobile computer.

If, instead, the system generated a potentially false violation becausean incorrect RFID tag ID was associated with the space or the tag couldnot be read at all, the enforcement office records the number visible onthe permit in step 33 and transmits it back to the Command and ControlServer. From there, the process resumes at step 25 and any validviolations alerted as previously described.

FIG. 4 illustrates how violations are identified by the system and thenautomatically cited when the embodiment of the application allows. Theprocess starts at step 44 when a vehicle arrives in the space. Thiscauses the RFID reader to be awoken in step 45. All of the RFID tags inthe reading range of the reader to be read in step 46 and the resultstransmitted to the Command and Control Server in step 47. The Commandand Control Server then determines the proper RFID tag to associate withthe newly arrived motorist as laid out in the Remote Parking MonitoringSystem (provisional patent Ser. No. 61/213,768) in step 48. The resultsof the RFID tag to motorist association may encounter situations whereno tag to associate with the newly arrived motorist. This is determinedat step 49, and if no tag is associated with the motorist, a violationalert is issued in step 53.

Once enforcement personnel receive a violation alert on their mobilecomputers in step 53, they report to the space to verify the RFID permitin the vehicle against the reported RFIFD tag ID (or lack of permit)generated by the system in step 54.

If the system has generated a valid violation in step 55 as determinedby comparing the system reported RFID tag ID to the permit in thevehicle, the enforcement person issues a citation to the motorist orboots the vehicle in step 56 and sends the information related to thatcitation/boot back to the Command and Control Server in step 57 usingthe mobile computer.

If, instead, the system generated a potentially false violation becausean incorrect RFID tag ID was associated with the space or the tag couldnot be read at all, the enforcement officer records the number visibleon the permit in step 58 and transmits it back to the Command andControl Server. From here the process resumes at step 50 and any validviolations are alerted as previously described.

If a tag is successfully associated with the new motorist, his identityis determined from the Motorist database in step 50 and the currentPolicy assignment is determined for that motorist by examining therecord policy association records in step 51. The motorist's spaceallowances are checked to see if their permit applies to the space inwhich they have parked in step 52. In the case that a motorist is notpermitted in the space, a citation is generated and mailed to themotorist based on the address information stored in the motorist database in step 69.

For motorists permitted to park in the associated space, furthermonitoring is enacted. First, the policy is examined to determine if atime limit exists for parking in step 59 If a time limit exists, thespace's maximum occupancy time is set equal to that time limit in step60. Otherwise, it is set to “No Limit” in step 61. Then it is determinedif the policy requires monetary payment for time in step 62. If thepolicy requires payment, the motorist's account balance is checked todetermine the maximum time that can be purchased with the value in theiraccount in step 63 by dividing the balance by the rate for the space.This value is used to set the occupant's maximum time. If no payment isrequired by the policy, the occupant's maximum time is set to “No Limit”in step 64. The maximum occupant time is then compared to the maximumoccupancy time of the space and re-set to equal the maximum occupancytime of the space if it is shorter in step 65.

Once set, the status of the space is continuously monitored in a loopuntil the motorist departs the space (steps 66-68). If at any time, thecurrent time of day is after the allowable time—defined as the time ofthe motorist's arrival plus the maximum occupant time as determined instep 67, a citation is generated and mailed to the motorist based on theaddress on the address information stored in the motorist data base instep 69.

1. A process in a remote meterless parking monitoring system the timeframes for the assigned space policy so that the assignment can beapplied to at least one of beginning and cancelled in the future withoutfurther intervention, comprising the steps of: a Vehicle Detector wakesan RFID Reader; the RFID Reader determines all readable RFID Tags inproximity to the parking space; the RFID Reader determination istransmitted to a Command and Control Server; the proper RFID Tag for aMotorist is determined; the Command and Control Server determines if anyRFID Tag is associated with the Motorist; if no proper RFID tag exists,a violation alert is issued; if a proper RFID tag is associated with themotorist, look up motorist from a motorist database using the RFID tagnumber; and determine if the Motorist is permitted in the Parking Space;find the current Parking Policy assignment from an assignment table; andif the motorist is not permitted in the parking space, issue a violationalert, if the Motorist is permitted in the Parking Space, determine ifthe Parking Space has a Time Limit; if the Parking Space has a timelimit Set Space Maximum Allowable Time to Time Limit for the ParkingPolicy; if the Parking Space does not have a Time Limit, Set ParkingSpace Maximum Time Limit to NO LIMIT; determine if Parking Spacerequires payment; if the Parking Space requires payment, Set OccupantMaximum time to smaller value of Space Maximum Time or Occupant MaximumTime; if the Parking Space does not require payment, set OccupantMaximum Time to NO Limit; set Maximum Occupant time to smaller value ofSpace Maximum Time or Occupant Maximum Time; check violation Status;determine if Current Time is greater than Arrival Time plus MaximumOccupant Time; if Current Time is greater than Arrival Time plus MaximumOccupant Time the issue Violation Alert; if Current Time is not greaterthan Arrival Time plus Maximum Occupant Time, then wait until occupantdeparts; and end Occupant Monitoring Process.
 2. A process in a remotemeterless parking monitoring system for issuing violation alerts andboot violations as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:recording the actual RFID tag ID and transmit it to the Command andControl Server; if a violation alert is issued, verify the RFID tagagainst the permit in the Motorist's Vehicle and determine if the tagmatches the tag in the database stored in the Command and ControlServer; issue a citation/boot violation; and send citation/boot detailsto the Command and Control Server to end the occupant monitoringprocess.
 3. A process for identifying violations and issuing automaticcitations in a remote meterless parking monitoring system as in claim 1,further comprising the steps of: if a violation alert is issued, verifyRFID tag against the permit in the motorist's vehicle; determine ifthere is a Permit Tag in the vehicle and if YES, record actual RFID tagID and Transmit it to the Command and Control Server; if there is noPermit Tag in the vehicle, issue a Citation/Boot Violation; sendCitation Boot Details to the Command and Control Server and end OccupantMonitoring Process.
 4. A process for identifying violations and issuingautomatic citations in a remote meterless parking monitoring system asin claim 1, further comprising the steps of: determine if the ParkingSpace requires payment: if the Parking Space requires payment, setOccupant Maximum time to Motorist's Account Balance divided by theParking Space's Rate; determine if Current Time is greater than ArrivalTime plus Maximum Occupant Time; if Current Time is greater than ArrivalTime plus Maximum Occupant Time, send motorist a Citation Notice atmailing address in Motorist Database and End Occupant Monitoringprocess.